Calm the System, Change the Life

22 Mar 2026 8:19 PM

Over many years working with people preparing for and walking the Kokoda Track, I’ve observed something consistent and powerful.

When people are pushed beyond their comfort zone, physically, emotionally, and psychologically, their nervous system is exposed.

And what shows up… is what’s been running them all along.

Two Gears That Run Your Life

Your nervous system operates in two primary states:

• Sympathetic (Fight / Flight)
  Stress, urgency, cravings, overthinking, survival
• Parasympathetic (Rest / Repair)
  Calm, healing, digestion, memory, emotional processing

On Kokoda, the sympathetic system is constantly activated by heat, fatigue, uncertainty, challenge.

But what determines whether someone grows… or breaks… is their ability to shift back into parasympathetic regulation.

Because this is where real change happens.

The Biology of Survival vs Healing

When you are stuck in fight or flight, your body prioritises survival:

• Digestion slows
• Hormonal balance is disrupted
• Immune function is suppressed
• Memory and emotional processing are impaired

This isn’t theory — it’s well established in stress physiology research. Chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system has been shown to impair immune, endocrine, and cognitive function (McEwen, 2007).

But when you shift into the parasympathetic state, the opposite occurs:

• The body begins to repair
• Hormones rebalance
• The immune system strengthens
• The brain becomes capable of processing emotion and memory

This is why trauma often cannot be processed while someone is in a chronic stress state. Safety must be felt,, not just thought.

The Vagus Nerve: Your Internal Switch

At the centre of this shift is the vagus nerve, a critical pathway connecting your brain, heart, lungs, and gut.

It acts as a biological switch between stress and recovery.

Neuroscientist Stephen Porges, through the Polyvagal Theory, demonstrated that vagal tone plays a central role in emotional regulation, social connection, and stress recovery (Porges, 2007).

In simple terms:

When your vagus nerve is activated, your body receives the message, “you are safe.”

Without that signal, the body remains in defence mode.

Making the Unconscious Conscious

Carl Jung once said:

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

Your nervous system works the same way.

Until you learn to regulate it, your biology will continue to drive:

• cravings
• anxiety
• overthinking
• self-sabotage

These are not character flaws.

They are stress responses.

 

 

What I See on Kokoda

On the track, stripped of comfort and routine, people come face to face with themselves.

And those who learn to calm their system:

• make better decisions
• recover faster
• process emotion more effectively
• connect more deeply with others

They don’t just complete Kokoda.

They change.

Practical Ways to Activate the Parasympathetic System

These are simple, field-tested techniques I use with clients, including on Kokoda, supported by emerging scientific evidence.

1. The Power of the Exhale

Most people are told to “take a deep breath.”

But the key is not the inhale , it’s the exhale.

A slow, extended exhale stimulates the vagus nerve and signals safety to the brain (Jerath et al., 2015).

Try this:

• Inhale naturally
• Exhale slowly and fully
• Repeat for 60–90 seconds

2. Physiological Sigh (Used in High-Performance Environments)

Two short inhales through the nose, followed by one long exhale through the mouth.

This technique has been shown to rapidly reduce stress and regulate breathing patterns (Stanford research; Balban et al., 2023).

 

 

 

3. Cold Water Exposure

Cold water on the face or brief immersion activates the diving reflex, lowering heart rate and increasing parasympathetic activity (Kox et al., 2014).

Even 20–30 seconds can create a measurable shift.

4. Grounding (Earthing)

Standing barefoot on natural surfaces such as grass or sand may help regulate stress responses and reduce cortisol levels (Chevalier et al., 2012).

While research is still developing, anecdotal and early findings are compelling.

5. Morning Light Exposure

Exposure to natural morning light helps regulate:

• circadian rhythm
• cortisol release
• melatonin production

This supports both nervous system balance and sleep quality (Huberman, 2021; Walker, 2017).

The Real Insight

Cravings are not weakness.
Overthinking is not failure.
Self-sabotage is not lack of discipline.

They are signals.

They are your nervous system asking for regulation.

Final Thought

Most people try to change behaviour at the surface level.

But real change happens deeper.

Calm the nervous system…… and the mind will follow.
Calm the body …. and the life begins to change.

References

• Balban, M. Y., et al. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine.
• Chevalier, G., et al. (2012). Earthing: Health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth’s surface electrons. Journal of Environmental and Public Health.
• Huberman, A. (2021). Controlling your dopamine for motivation, focus & satisfaction. Stanford Neuroscience.
• Jerath, R., et al. (2015). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing. Medical Hypotheses.
• Kox, M., et al. (2014). Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response. PNAS.
• McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation. Physiological Reviews.
• Porges, S. W. (2007). The polyvagal perspective. Biological Psychology.
• Walker, M. (2017). Why We Sleep.